Friday, February 27, 2009

Put Your Records On

This week's little blurb about Max's development (in the box to the right----->) mentions that he can now hear and move to the rhythm of music! For some reason, this cracks me up! Is he doing the Running Man? Perhaps his own version of Susie's famous "shoulder bounce"? Or maybe the baby Electric Slide?

Either way, it's made me very conscious of the music that I listen to! As I rock out in the car to Pink's "Sober" or Eminem and Dr. Dre's "Crack the Bottle", I'm overwhelmed by guilt that our little Max is listening to such trash! Quick....change the radio station! Ahhhh.....James Taylor....MUCH better!

And then sure enough, as I'm singing loudly to Brad Paisley on the way home from work.....I can feel Max doin' a little dance! Perhaps that's a country line dance in there??

Tuesday, February 24, 2009

Hormones, Anyone?

"Pregnancy Brain" is now in full effect. And for anyone who thought that losing one's mind and being overwhelmed by hormones was strictly a first trimester pleasure, you are VERY wrong! For example:
1) This morning the shower door got stuck. I was half in the shower when I realized it wouldn't close. So I got out and tried to remember what Sean had said about how to fix it, because he was gone. I put my glasses on, and stood there half wet/half dry, trying to pull on the damn thing so that it would finally close. It wouldn't. So I started crying. In the bathroom, on a soaking wet rug. I finally figured it out, got back in the shower and started to wash up, and realized "It's really foggy in here". I still had my glasses on.

2) Watching the Oscars. I cried for Kate Winslet. I cried for gay people everywhere when Dustin Lance Black and Sean Penn won, and gave amazing speeches. Sean walked in right when Heath's Ledger's sister was accepting his Oscar on behalf of Matilda, and he said "Are you crying about Heath Ledger?" To which I replied, between tears, "Yes. Because I'm PREGNANT".

3) I wanted to cry when the manicurist asked me if I wanted to put my feet up during my manicure. YES, yes, yes I do! Because I'm pregnant and I'm so tired and I just can't GO ON another minute today without closing my eyes.

4) A client called to ask about the 2/24 workshop on 2/23. "What 2/24 workshop?" I asked. Oh, the one that I'M DOING.

Now I've heard that this phenomenon of LOSING ONE'S MIND only gets worse when the baby arrives. At that point, you have ZERO SLEEP to go on, and on top of the zero sleep, you actually have a baby to take care of. Hang on....I need to go away for a minute and have a good cry about that....

Monday, February 23, 2009

Dozing Off

Even though I am only 25 weeks along, I am starting to feel SO pregnant.

This morning, exhaustion was my best friend from the time I woke up (and hit the snooze button 8 times) to the time I came home from work. I was depleted. Completely zoned. So much so that.....

At lunch I went for a walk to get a sandwich, and walked by the swanky new nail salon 'Mani and a Nanny'. This place has a great concept....they cater to moms who can bring their kids in to play in the playroom with a Nanny while the moms get their nails done. During the week though, it's mostly business women and the doctors and nurses from the hospital nearby. And some pregnant ladies...like me.

So I walked by, and thought "I would LOVE to rest in one of those great recliners for a few minutes....and I suppose it wouldn't hurt to get a manicure". In I went, and it was quite possibly the best $20 I've spent in a long time. First off, they put you in a plush recliner (no spa chairs with nasty tubs). Then they put the footrest all the way up and lean you back, with three pillows propped behind your back, head, and neck. They bring you water with lemon. And they fussed over my pregnant self left and right...."You need to relax. Put your feet up. Can I bring you something?". So much so, that somewhere between the time I rolled up my sleeves and the time that I took my rings off.....I passed out cold. FELL ASLEEP. I woke up to an awesome extra-long arm/hand massage, followed by hot towels, and then took another quick little snooze. Soon my nails were being painted a trendy shade of blood red, and the incredibly kind manicurist brought out the dryer, placed it in my lap, and said with a wink "You need at least 20 minutes to dry". In which I fell asleep again.

Heaven.

Sunday, February 22, 2009

Rylee

For the last few months, Rylee hasn't been acting like herself. She's been restless at night, has been eating and drinking less (if at all), and she has lost most of her energy and oomph. After lots of tests and many worries, we finally found an answer. Rylee has a tumor on her pituitary gland. It's making her do funny things like pace around in circles, and pant for hours. We can tell that she is so uncomfortable and confused, and as scary as it is to watch her that way, we are also grateful to finally have an answer.

So tomorrow Sean will start 20 days of driving her to the brilliant minds at the UC Davis Vet Hospital, so that they can give her special puppy radiation. We can't wait to watch her get better, slowly but surely, day by day. We have dreams of taking her to the beach with Max and watching her run to the water's edge and back. We want her to join us in the shade of a cafe table while we have breakfast downtown. We can't wait for her to sniff Max, and lick his little feet, and embark on the next stage of this journey with us.

Rylee and Max have already started to bond, in their own special way. Since my first few weeks of pregnancy, Rylee has known that something was different. We've always been friends, but for the past six months she has been my protector. She comes to my side of the bed at night. She sits patiently in front of me when I'm sitting on the couch. She waits for me at the top of the stairs when I come home. Rylee knows that something is changing, and she has been right there with me as each change comes. Sean has been taking amazing care of her. Patiently feeding her by hand, waking up with her at night to calm her down, taking her for a second and third opinion when we weren't getting answers from her regular vet. Ever since I first met him, I knew that he would be a fantastic father, because he was such a great "Doggie Dad".

We will be right there with Rylee on her path to recovery. We will be cheering her on, and nursing her back to health, and watching day by day as she returns to her old self. Each day that brings us closer to meeting Max, also brings us closer to healing Rylee. We can't wait for the two of them to meet each other, and for hundreds more sunny days with Rylee walking next to Max's stroller as we all embark on another adventure together.

Overheard...

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Friday, February 20, 2009

Baubee's Corner

My mom Barbara (Max's Baubee) is our guest writer today. What she wrote made me cry, and reminds me again of how very lucky I am to have such a wonderful mom. She taught me the magic of books, and how to explore life through the love of reading. I am so excited to pass those things on to our little Max.

I have to confess that I have started to buy books for Max. Today I bought "Goodnight Moon" and "Pat the Bunny." "Goodnight Moon" was a favorite of both Kim and her younger brother Scott. (I must have read that book about a thousand times.) I have always dreamed about buying books for a grandchild. There are so many books that Kim and Scott loved when they were growing up. Max needs to have all of the Dr. Seuss books and the Where's Waldo series. He'll need the Berenstein Bears and The Stupids Step Out. Oh, and of course the Madeleine series. And the caterpillar book with the holes he can put his fingers in! He'll need picture books to learn his colors and his alphabet and the names of all the animals. And we have to get him the toy that makes all the animal sounds when you pull the string! (The cow says moooooo.....) When he's older I want to introduce him to "A Wrinkle in Time" by Madeleine L'Engle. And if his daddy will let me (since they are kind of girl's books) the All of a Kind Family series about a Jewish family growing up in New York, and the Little House on the Prairie series. And then maybe some science fiction books, and nature books, oh, and of course dinosaurs!!Pretty soon we will have a new member of our family. What an amazing experience to go from the family we are now to welcoming this member of the next generation. And he is already loved by grandparents and aunts and uncles, and cousins from all over the country. We can't wait to meet you, little Max!!
Love,Baubee

Tuesday, February 17, 2009

Slip N Slide

Today I had my 24 week doctor's appointment....and what a debacle the day was! It was POURING rain here....literally dumping buckets. Drove out to P-Town for the appointment wearing anti-rain boots, slipped and fell in the lobby of the doctor's office. SCARED THE CRAP OUT OF MYSELF. It took me 2 minutes to take the elevator up to the office, and yet I had time for this inner monologue: "Dear God, I promise that if everything is fine with the baby I will NEVER wear heels again. Sean was RIGHT about not wearing heels anymore. I'm an IDIOT...and ow, crap....my KNEE hurts! What if I jostled the baby? What if he's hurt? Damn this rain!". I was so upset at myself that I didn't have time to fully relish the moment when the nurse weighed me and I had only gained THREE pounds in four weeks. Umm....yeah. NOT a pound a week, like the books say. I'm on the LOW end of THIS spectrum people! I mean, I've had months where I'm a little toward the OTHER end, but not this week! Where in hell I stored all those Girl Scout cookies, I have NO idea, but who cares now?! But no time to get excited, I had to cry to the nurse "I just ATE it in the lobby!!!!!!!!!". Then the doctor kindly squeezed my shoulder and said "Did you fall ON your stomach?" Ummm...no. "You would have had to have fallen right on your stomach to hurt the baby. I think you're going to be ok". DEEP BREATH.

Max's heartbeat sounded great. My cervix is still closed up tight (if any of you were dying of curiousity). Blood pressure is great (because they took it AFTER my little freak-out). Oh, and why yes I AM probably having a few Braxton-Hicks contractions! ooohhhhh....having one right now actually! Just Max's way of saying "Mom, you're embarassing me!" Just some little practice ones, but apparently that's ok. My uterus/belly is measuring 25....apparently that's exactly where I should be. I've even graduated to another appointment in just THREE weeks (not four any more), and then after that, every TWO weeks! Want to know what I'm NOT looking forward to? The glucose screening test that will happen in three weeks. They were nice enough to give me the bottle of orange syrup to put in our fridge before I have to slam it the morning of the test. The only thing that could make a blood draw worse is having to chug a whole bottle of orange nastiness on an empty stomach first. I'll keep you posted on how THAT goes.

Friday, February 13, 2009

High Fives

Every week I read the little box on the right------> to Sean, and we learn what Max is up to this week. Now that I'm officially 24 weeks, the box says that it may be possible for Sean to hear Max's heartbeat if he puts his ear to my belly. Seriously???

So of course we had to try. Sean rested his head on my belly, and listened for a while. He thought he might have heard it, but then the noise faded away. So he stayed there quietly, with both hands on my belly and his ear pressed up against me.....and Max kicked him in the head! It was like Max sensed he was there...he started kicking more than he had all day! At one point he stopped moving so much and Sean shook my belly a little. I could feel Max roll around to the other side, where he then kicked Sean's face again! For the next few minutes, Sean would say "I felt that!", and I'd ask him where...."Right on my ear", or "right here on my hand" he'd say....and every single time it would be exactly where I was feeling Max kick from the inside. The excitement in Sean's voice was awesome...and it was absolutely amazing how Max could hear and respond to him (in his own little "in utero" way!) Sean got such a kick out of it that he started telling Max "high five" to see if he'd respond....and then, my personal favorite...after talking sweetly to Max for a while, Sean put his mouth up to my stomach....and burped. "I'm just teaching my boy!" he said.

This pregnancy gets more and more amazing every day. I am so awestruck by the beauty of our baby moving inside of me, Sean's head on my belly, my hands on Sean's head. I am so incredibly lucky to have such a wonderful husband to share this with....burps, high fives, and all!

Max, Meet Your Dad...

Dad, meet Max.....


For the last few weeks, I've been feeling Max kick, roll, and somersault pretty strongly in my belly. It's crazy to me that I can feel him so strongly from the inside, but rarely (if at all) from the outside. The times that I have felt him from the outside have been a huge surprise, but as soon as I move my hand back again, he decides to chill for a while.


Sean and I have had many nights (that's when Max is the most active....go figure?!) with conversations that go like this:


Kim: Put your hand here. No. Here. Wait...now hold still. Did you feel that?

Sean: No.

Kim: Well just concentrate! Did you feel that?

Sean: Nope. Nothing.

Kim: Are you sure?

Sean: Seriously? I can't feel anything (moves hand off my belly).

Kim: Wait! He did it again! Did you feel THAT?

Sean: Ummm...no.

Kim: Ok...right there...stop moving your hand! No...press lighter, or he'll swim away.

Sean: I don't feel anything. This is dumb.

Kim: Wait! He just did it again!


To the point where I started to feel really silly. And then....last Sunday night....


Kim: Put your hand right here. No, down lower. Did you feel that?

Sean: Nope.

Kim: Ok, just wait. Crap...now he's not moving. Oh wait...

Sean: I felt that!

Kim: You did? Where?

Sean: Right where my fingers are, and then on my palm!

Kim: Are you sure? What did it feel like?

Sean: Like a little thump, and then a smaller one!

Kim: Are you sure it wasn't my pulse? Did it move in a rhythm?

Sean: I'm sure! I just felt it once, and then nothing. Max is an over-achiever! The doctor said I wouldn't be able to feel anything until at least 24 weeks!

Saturday, February 7, 2009

Gotta Have It


What happens when a pregnant woman is sitting in the car with three people who are discussing the merits of Skinny Cow Vanilla Drumsticks? Why, the pregnant woman immediately tells them that she needs a Drumstick NOW!


Jason, Rick, and Sean were very sweet to drive me immediately to Safeway, where we purchased the original old school drumsticks.....and subsequently indulged! Thanks Jason and Rick for taking one for the team!


Wednesday, February 4, 2009

Feels Like....

For some reason, I always imagined that feeling my baby kicking would feel like, well, kicks! You know, like a tiny something was doing a gentle can-can in my belly.


Nope. Imagine putting tennis balls in the dryer. There is some serious rockin' and rollin' going on in there. And every so often, I feel....a shift. And Max apparently decides to move over and take a little rest, right on top of my bladder.


Ahhhh, the wonders of growing a little human being inside of you!

Tuesday, February 3, 2009

Wild Thing




Look! We found a "Wild Thing" from Max's book "Where the Wild Things Are"! Doesn't he look great in Max's little hat?!

Baubee!






We had so much fun when Baubee (Kim's mom Barbara) came to visit us this weekend! Here are a few of the highlights:

1) Relaxing at the Orchard Garden Hotel. Great robes, comfy beds, and a concierge with a soft spot for pregnant women (he let me leave my car in the loading zone for a few hours....twice!)


2) Fun dinners at some favorite old spots, and some great new ones (like Cafe Claude, for pommes frites, potato gratin, french onion soup, and an amazing pork/caramel apple entree that was to die for!)
3) Lots and lots of great talks, bonding time, and day-dreaming about what life will be like when Max comes home.

4) Our very first Babies R Us excursion. Quite possibly, we have found the crib that we like! And lo and behold, it's rated TOP of the list on Consumer Reports and in the Baby Bargain book. Pretty darn good, considering we chose it based on looks and color! We also got some great ideas for changing tables/dressers. We were completely overwhelmed by the stroller/car seat section, and took a nice long break in the gliders...ahhh...gliders....we will definitely be getting one of those! We weren't completely impressed with the clothes and linens there, so we headed over to....

5) Target. LOVED the baby clothes there. Super soft, not expensive, good quality, and damn adorable. Plus, the linens and nursery stuff have a great "modern" look to them...perfect for what we had in mind for Max's room. However, all of this was way too overwhelming for a 22 weeks pregnant woman, so we will register ANOTHER TIME. Hey, it took every ounce of energy I had to just decide WHERE to register. Looks like it will be a combination of Babies R Us (for the "gear") and Target (for clothes, linens, materials). My mom was such an incredible support...she helped with all of the research, took great notes about what we liked, and kept me reigned in when I was ready to grab "the gun" and start adding random crap that we didn't need!

6) Moms and daughters brunch with Pam and Susie! Two grandmas, two roomies, and two baby boys due in June. Lots of discussion about labor, breast feeding, sleep habits, and nurseries. Pam gave us some wonderful gifts too.....she made this blanket and this tiny hat for Max, and found this great bib for Baubee's grandson!















7) A little more shopping at Gap Baby. Baubee bought us the cutest clothes, and had some presents from home too! Look how adorable these outfits are....and she even bought a matching hat for Diego!